Lees: A good look at heroes and cowards

I couldn’t help but think of the contrast this week between the heroic work of local, state, and federal officials after the bombing at the Boston Marathon and the cowardice displayed by the Senators who voted against the Manchin-Toomey compromise amendment that would have enhanced background checks.

A number of my former students and colleagues have run the Boston Marathon. I ran the Penn Relays Marathon in 1981 (when the Penn Relays still had a marathon). I pay pretty close attention to the results. Everyone who qualifies for that race is one heck of a runner. I was coaching at a tennis match on Monday, when we first got word of the explosions. It was awful to see the injured people being evacuated. It was horrifying to learn that three people had been killed along with so many who had really bad injuries. The first responders did an excellent job, as did many bystanders.

Katie Kohler was right to point out, in her Sunday commentary in The Times Herald, that we should remember the words of Mr. Rogers’ mom, “Look for the helpers.” The helpers were terrific, including the man from Central America who had lost a son in the Iraq War. He helped the runner who eventually lost both of his legs.

The two brothers from Chechnya who apparently did this were accounted for by Friday evening. One died in a gunfight and the other brother was apprehended Friday evening after hiding under the covering of a boat in a backyard in Watertown, Massachusetts. There were heroes all around. It was great to see the Red Sox honor them at the game on Saturday. Neil Diamond showed up to lead the Red Sox fans in singing their usual 8th inning version of his tribute song to Caroline Kennedy”, “Sweet Caroline.” I wore my Red Sox hat to the Phils game Sunday night.

I might add all these heroes are the same government officials who some right wing extremists tell us they need assault weapons to protect themselves from.

Now, for the cowards in the US Senate. There are 45 of them. Only Harry Reid, the 46th Senator who voted against the Manchin-Toomey amendment even though he was for it, is exempt. Reid, by voting against the amendment, is entitled to introduce the bill again.

Here’s the list of Senators voting against Manchin-Toomey including Reid:

All of the other Democratic Senators voted for the bill. The Republicans who voted for the bill were Sens. Pat Toomey (PA), Mark Kirk (IL), Susan Collins (ME) and John McCain (AZ).

Over 90 percent of the American public was for enhanced background checks. Yet we get only 54 votes out of a hundred. Notice how that’s a defeat under Senate cloture of filibuster rules (which Harry Reid could have changed back in January, but didn’t – thanks so much Harry). Now if you still believe in the tooth fairy you might believe whatever excuses the 45 make up for why we can’t close gun show loopholes, etc. on background checks. But make no mistake about it – fear of the NRA’s political clout is a big part of what motivated the 45.

Memorize every name on that list of 45 – donate to their opponents the next time they run and do everything you can to defeat them (defeat the Democrats in primaries and the GOP Senators in the general election).

Now, I haven’t even mentioned the gerrymandered House of Representatives. Most, if not all, of the GOP in the House is hopeless on this issue. Remember Jim Gerlach’s hilarious excuse for not wanting tighter background checks – if his son inherited Jim’s gun, he might have to undergo a background check. I’m also sure there are a number of Democrats who would go wobbly if Manchin-Toomey ever gets to the House.

So there you have the heroes who protected the Boston area, and the cowards who wouldn’t stand up to protect the people of Newtown, Connecticut (and all of the rest of us).